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Mayo GAA Quarter-Final Results – Connacht Gold Senior Championship

Mayo GAA Quarter-Final Results – Connacht Gold Senior Championship

The 2021 Mayo GAA club championship season is underway, with round 3 for Senior, Intermediate and Junior clubs beginning on Friday the 15, Saturday the 16th and finally Sunday the 17th of October to finish up the group stages of this years club championship.

Round 3 of the Mayo Senior Football Championship was an eventful one, with many great games to open up an already competitive championship season.

With few upsets, many teams who have been touted favourites will be happy with their performances this week and the result.

The Quarter and Relegation finals of the Mayo Senior Football Championship will commence in due time with dates, time and venues to be announced.

Below are all the results, times and locations for all Senior games this weekend.

Connacht Gold Senior Championship

Mayo GAA Senior Football Championship 2021 Results

Quarter-Finals

Westport 0-13 (13) v Ballina Stephenites 1-09 (12)

Garrymore 1-14 (17) v Castlebar Mitchels 0-13 (13)

Belmullet 2-05 (11) v Breaffy 0-08 (8)

Ballintubber 0-12 (12) v Knockmore 2-09 (15)

Relegation Play-Offs

Davitts 1-14 (17) v Kiltane 1-09 (12)

Balla 0-07 (7) v Aghamore 0-11 (11)

Mayo GAA Semi-Final Draw – Connacht Gold Senior Championship

Westport v Belmullet

Garrymore v Knockmore

Relegation Final

Kiltane v Balla

Mayo GAA Quarter-Final Results – Connacht Gold Senior Championship

For more News and Stories on all things GAA, click here.

Kelleher likely to miss Liverpool cup tie against Preston

Liverpool assistant manager has revealed that Caoimhin Kelleher is likely to miss the side’s upcoming Carabao Cup fourth-round tie with Preston North End on Wednesday night.

The Irish goalkeeper had trained with the squad after missing the 5-0 win over Manchester United due to illness but it appears that he has suffered a setback.

Kelleher has made two appearances for the Reds so far this season, including playing the full 90 minutes against Norwich in the third round of the league cup.

On the availability of Kelleher, who was absent against United due to illness, Lijnders said to liverpoolfc.com: “Not sure, he trained with the team but it seems he had a little setback so he probably will not be involved.”

James Milner and Naby Keita were both forced off with injuries during Sunday’s 5-0 win at Manchester United after being picked in the starting XI.

Fabinho missed the game at Old Trafford because of a knee issue while Thiago Alcantara is nearing the completion of his rehabilitation from a calf complaint.

Liverpool assistant manager Lijnders said: “Millie felt something, he felt something wasn’t right in his hamstring, a little bit tight.

“Then [Mason] Greenwood made this run and he decides, ‘I need to catch him’ – how Millie is, putting the team always first. And that created a bigger injury in that moment, that run.

“It shows a lot about his character and his willpower to put the team first. This [injury] will be until the international break for sure, so it’s a long one. But we will need him in the coming period.

“My job title is assistant manager but I think you can give that job title to Millie as well. He connects the staff and the players in how he assists our manager. So, he has a role to play and he knows this, so all good. He needs to stay vocal, let me say it like this.

“Naby has a bruise in this moment, we assess it day by day. It’s looking good, so that’s good.

“Fabinho will not be ready for tomorrow’s game, we will assess him day by day still. He can make the game on Saturday hopefully.

“Then we have Thiago as well, who is closer to team training than ever. He will be later in the week with the team training. Probably Brighton comes too early but it’s good that he is back, especially in the situation we are in.”

Chelsea v Southampton – Preview, Betting, Probable Starting Teams

Thomas Tuchel will want to continue his winning and silverware run as he faces Southampton in Round Three of the EFL Cup

Chelsea v Southampton will kick-off at 19:45 tonight, Tuesday 25th October in Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel has built a nearly impenetrable side this season but will likely shake things up this evening. Since the international break, the Blues have won four matches on the bounce, scoring 15 goals and conceding only two.

Chelsea were lucky to reach this stage of the competition after they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa before a Reece James penalty won the subsequent shootout.

Southampton have not been as strong this season. The Saints have only won a singular match this season and now sit in 16th in the league.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side still have hope in the cup after opening the competition with an 8-0 win over Newport County. Last round, they needed to win in a similar fashion to Chelsea as they overcame Sheffield United in a tense penalty shootout.

This has become a very common fixture in the last decade. In their last 21 meetings, Chelsea have won 12 matches while Southampton won a rare three, most recently in 2015. Their most recent game ended 3-1 to the Blues back at the start of this month.

Chelsea v Southampton Probable Starting Teams

Chelsea

Formation

3-4-2-1

Probable Starting 11

Arrizabalaga (GK), Chalobah, Christensen, Sarr, Alonso, Kovacic, Saul, Hudson-Odoi, Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, Havertz

Injuries / Suspensions

Pulisic (Ankle), Kanté (Muscle injury), Lukaku (Sprained ankle), Werner (Hamstring)

 

Southampton

Formation

4-4-2

Probable Starting 11

Forster (GK), Perraud, Salisu, Lyanco, Valery, Redmond, Tella, Romeu, Diallo, Armstrong, Djenepo.

Injuries / Suspensions

Broja (Ankle), Stephens (Knee), Elyounoussi (Head)

Chelsea v Southampton Match Betting

Chelsea to win: 4/9

Draw: 10/3

Southampton to win: 6/1

 

Score Prediction

Even though Tuchel will most likely play a weakened side in this cup fixture, the depth of his squad should be enough to qualify for the next round of the cup. Rotation players Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek showed their capabilities in their latest league fixture and they will play a big part in tonight’s game.

Expect this game will end 4-1 to Chelsea.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club football news, click here.

Arsenal v Leeds – Preview, Betting, Probable Starting Teams

Leeds United will be looking for something to cheer about as they travel to Arsenal for Round Three of the EFL Cup this evening

Arsenal v Leeds United will kick off at 19:45 tonight, Tuesday 26th October in the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have been on a decent run in the last two months, they are now unbeaten in seven games with wins over Tottenham and Aston Villa. This winning form began in this competition when they trashed a replacement West Brom team in August.

They reached the fourth round of the EFL Cup after they beat League One side Wimbledon 3-0 at home. In two games, the London Reds have scored nine goals and conceded none so they will want to keep that going tonight.

Leeds have not been as fortunate this season. The Whites sit in 17th place with only one win in the league.

The EFL Cup now gives the club a new opportunity for victories. After beating Crewe Alexandra 3-0 at home, they faced Fulham in Craven Cottage. That game went to penalties and the young goalkeeper became their hero.

In the last 10 years, Leeds United have failed to be the winning team in this fixture. After six games, Arsenal have won four games while two games have ended in draws. These sides are yet to face each other in the league this season but last year Arsenal won this game in a thrilling 4-2.

Arsenal v Leeds Probable Starting Teams

Arsenal

4-2-3-1

Probable Starting 11

Leno (GK), Kolasinac, Mari, Holding, Soares, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Nketiah, Smith-Rowe, Pépé, Martinelli

Injuries / Suspensions

Xhaka (Knee), Tierney (Knock)

 

Leeds United

Formation

4-1-4-1

Probable Starting 11

Meslier (GK), Shackleton, Cooper, Cresswell, Dallas, Phillips, James, Klich, Gelhardt, Harrison, Rodrigo

Injuries / Suspensions

Firpo (Muscle injury), Ayling (Knee), Bamford (Ankle), Raphinha (Ankle), Koch (Groin)

Arsenal v Leeds Match Betting

Arsenal to win: 4/6

Draw: 11/4

Leeds United to win: 4/1

 

Score Prediction

Although neither manager will be playing their strongest squad, this will still be an entertaining fixture. Arteta’s side has the better form going into this tie and the optimism could be the difference in this tie.

Expect this game to end 3-1 to the home side Arsenal.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club football news, click here.

Leeds injury update: Phillips to return this week

After a tough, brutal weekend in the Premier League, there are now Leeds injury worries to deal with before their EFL Cup tie tomorrow

The Whites left it late before claiming a point on Saturday. As they faced Wolves in Round Nine of the league, South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan scored first for the Birmingham side.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men were rescued by a teenage substitute in the dying moments of stoppage time. The 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt was fouled in the penalty area as forward Rodrigo cooly dispatched the penalty.

They managed to claim the draw without some of their star players such as Kalvin Phillips, Junior Firpo, Luke Ayling, and Patrick Bamford. With the team preparing for a cup match midweek, the club will be looking for some positive news on the injury table.

Kalvin Phillips

Phillips has missed out on Premier League duty since their win over Watford earlier this month. The Leeds manager announced that the midfielder is not yet up to full match fitness.

He appeared on the bench against Wolves but was given no minutes. This midweek fixture may be the perfect time for Phillips to find his footing.

Robin Koch

The German defender has been plagued with injuries, barely appearing this season and becoming a mainstay on the Leeds injury table. After getting surgery on his hip, he has seen himself on the recovery table since the opening weekend.

Bielsa told the media that Koch will need another month of rehab before he can begin playing football again.

Luke Ayling

Ayling also required surgery last month due to a knock in their draw with Newcastle. Now the English right-back is has been recovering well but Bielsa says he will miss out on at least another week of football.

Patrick Bamford

Bamford’s knock, also against Newcastle, has been one of Leeds’ biggest worries this year. The manager confirmed that he will miss the tie against Arsenal but could return in time for the weekend game against Norwich.

Junior Firpo

This summer’s headline signing from Barcelona was struck down by a muscular injury recently. He only missed out on a week of fixtures and is likely to return to the pitch in time for the tie against Norwich on Halloween.

Raphinha

The Brazilian winger is Leeds’ biggest problem of late. On a struggling side, the tricky dribbler has been a bright spark while also shining for his national side.

A rough challenge by Roman Saiss before the hour-mark at the weekend forced the player off the pitch. Many fans were left outraged that the Wolves defender was not shown a red card for the tackle but now their focus will return to Raphinha’s recovery.

Bielsa was unable to give an update on the injury after the game but the player said on social media:

“So I’m back soon. Thank you all for the messages and concern of all.”

 

Leeds United’s next match will be their EFL Cup fixture against Arsenal. The match will kick off tomorrow, 26th October at 19:45 in the Emirates Stadium.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club news, click here.

Energia Women’s All-Ireland League Round-Up – Round 4

Round four of the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League took place this weekend, with several sides earning strong results.

Railway Union reclaimed the top spot in the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League with a supercharged 37-10 win over title rivals UL Bohemians.

After losing twice to UL during the unfinished 2019/20 season, Railway returned fire with a superb six-try performance at their Sandymount base.

Their industrious pack laid the platform, busy flanker Deirdre Roberts touching down twice with Katie O’Dwyer, captain Niamh Byrne, Aoife Doyle and Stephanie Carroll also scoring tries.

Railway second-row Siobhan McCarthy commented afterwards: “It was a tough game, very physical as per usual with Bohs. We love playing them. They’re one of the best teams in the country for the last number of years.

“Obviously the challenge is huge every time they come (here), so we’re delighted to be honest. We’ll meet them again after Christmas. Three (wins) from three is fantastic, it’s where we wanted to be.”

Injury-hit Ballincollig deserved to be closer on the scoreboard, but Old Belvedere were clinical in taking their chances in a comprehensive 75-0 victory at Ollie Campbell Park.

Young winger Clare Gorman grabbed the headlines with a fantastic five-try haul – including three during the final quarter – as 13-try Belvedere bounced back from their recent defeat in the All-Ireland League to UL Bohs.

Johnny Garth’s charges led 32-0 at half-time, ticking off the bonus point after 28 minutes, and were able to bring on Ireland stars Sene Naoupu and Kathryn Dane for their first appearances of the club season.

Ballincollig showed huge determination throughout, with number 8 Eimear Minihane and captain Gillian Coombes to the fore, but Belvedere had the gas out wide, particularly the long-striding Gorman, to keep piling on the points.

Blackrock College captain Michelle Claffey started and finished the try-scoring in their runaway 66-0 defeat of Cooke. Ben Martin’s side bagged ten tries in Belfast as well as keeping their opponents scoreless for the third round running.

“We were slow starters but kicked off the scoring after about 20 minutes,” said Claffey. “It was a great day at the office and we managed to keep Cooke scoreless. Given the calibre of their team, we’re delighted with that.”

As well as braces from Claffey and Ireland Sevens international Anna Doyle, ‘Rock, who are up to second in the table, had a hat-trick from Leinster Under-18 back-rower and captain Aoife Wafer who looks a real star in the making.

After a real baptism of fire in recent weeks, Wicklow made history against Malone with their first-ever All-Ireland League win. Leinster starlet Ella Roberts and Sarah Gleeson scored the tries that steered them to a 12-7 success at Ashtown Lane.

Big carries from Lauren Barry, co-captain Amy O’Neill and player-coach Niamh Ni Dhroma, on her first start at number 8, set the tone before full-back Roberts reached over in the corner, in response to a try from Malone’s Ireland hooker Neve Jones.

Turning around with a strong wind at their backs, Roberts’ older sister, out-half Beth, used her big boot to put Wicklow in the right areas of the pitch.

Centre Gleeson capitalised on this, crossing after some good phase play in the visitors’ 22. Jason Moreton’s young squad let their discipline slip at times, but a strong defensive finish sealed a famous result for the AIL newcomers.

Meanwhile, Galwegians also opened their win account, edging out Suttonians 17-12 in a cracking contest in Glenina.

Impressive centre Orla Dixon swept through for her third try of the season, but a brace from Sutts replacement Mary Healy had the visitors level.

Ultimately, it was Connacht U-18 ace Maria Gorham who made the difference. She darted over in the corner in the 70th minute, her second league score reversing the result from two years ago when Suttonians won by the same scoreline.

ENERGIA WOMEN’S ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE – ROUND 5 RESULTS:

ROUND 4: Saturday, October 23

OLD BELVEDERE 75 BALLINCOLLIG 0, Ollie Campbell Park
Scorers: Old Belvedere: Tries: Clare Gorman 5, Laura Carty 3, Vic Dabanovich O’Mahony, Elise O’Byrne-White, Grace Miller, Aine Donnelly, Oonagh Hynes; Cons: Jemma Farrell 5
Ballincollig: –
HT: Old Belvedere 32 Ballincollig 0

OLD BELVEDERE: Grace Miller; Laura Carty, Elise O’Byrne-White, Ailbhe Dowling, Clare Gorman; Aine Donnelly, Jemma Farrell; Alice O’Dowd, Vic Dabanovich O’Mahony, Melissa Hayden, Elaine Anthony, Ciara O’Dwyer, Oonagh Hynes, Lesley Ring, Clodagh Dunne.

Replacements: Ivanna Dempsey, Ciara O’Dwyer, Jess Spain, Amber Redmond, Dawn Keegan, Kathryn Dane, Sene Naoupu.

BALLINCOLLIG: Dee Kelly; Michelle Stafford, Lauren Fahy, Meaghan Kenny, Ellen O’Keeffe; Kelly Griffin, Gemma Lane; Roisin Ormond, Annie Laffen, Gerda Coyne, Denise Redmond, Gillian Coombes (capt), Eimear Perryman, Katelyn Fleming, Eimear Minihane.

Replacements: Sarah O’Donovan, Olivia Hay Mulvihill, Laurileigh Baker, Kira Fitzgerald, Niamh O’Regan, Aoife Flynn, Alix Cunneen.

COOKE 0 BLACKROCK COLLEGE 66, Shaw’s Bridge
Scorers: Cooke: –
Blackrock College: Tries: Michelle Claffey 2, Aoife Wafer 3, Maeve Liston, Anna Doyle 2, Nichola Fryday, Maeve Og O’Leary; Cons: Lisa Mullen 4, Meabh Deely 4
HT: Cooke 0 Blackrock College 19

COOKE: Teah Maguire; Claire Johnston, Lucy Thompson, Dolores Hughes, Georgia Boyce; Amanda Morton, Hannah Kilgore; Ilse van Staden, Megan Simpson, Sorcha Mac Laimhin, Caolinn McCormack, Helen McGhee, Katie Hetherington, India Daley, Beth Cregan.

Replacements: Fiona McCaughan, Alanagh van Staden, Katie Kerr, Tamzin Boyce, Cara McKevitt, Coral Lapsley.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Maggie Boylan; Anna Doyle, Michelle Claffey (capt), Jackie Shiels, Maeve Liston; Lisa Mullen, Niamh Griffin; Aoife Moore, Emma Hooban, Christy Haney, Mairead Holohan, Nichola Fryday, Aoife Wafer, Maeve Og O’Leary, Meadbh Scally.

Replacements: Laura Feely, Niamh Tester, Eimear Corri, Anna Potterton, Meabh Deely, Natasja Behan, Ciara Scanlan.

GALWEGIANS 17 SUTTONIANS 12, Crowley Park
Scorers: Galwegians: Tries: Orla Dixon, Megan Walsh, Maria Gorham; Con: Emma Keane
Suttonians: Tries: Mary Healy 2; Con: Jessica Kelleher
HT: Galwegians 12 Suttonians 0

GALWEGIANS: Mairead Coyne; Megan Walsh, Orla Dixon, Ursula Sammon, Laoise McGonagle; Emma Keane, Darwyn O’Halloran; Jessica Loftus, Tracy Lawlor, Ellen Connolly, Fiona Scally, Niamh O’Grady, Grace Browne Moran, Kate Feehan, Lisa-Marie Murphy.

Replacements: Elizabeth McNicholas, Ruby Lynch, Kiara Irwin, Dearbhla Canty, Lea Turner, Ines Delgao, Maria Gorham.

SUTTONIANS: Molly Fitzgerald; Megan Cullen, Catherine Martin, Jessica Kelleher, Lena Kibler; Nicole Carroll, Lauren Farrell McCabe (capt); Julia Bauer, Julia O’Connor, Aoife Brennan, Aislinn Layde, Ciara O’Brien, Louise Catinot, Katie Grant Duggan, Aifric O’Brien.

Replacements: Mary Healy, Sophie Brennan, Katie Reel, Carrie O’Keeffe, Emily McKeown.

RAILWAY UNION 37 UL BOHEMIANS 10, Park Avenue
Scorers: Railway Union: Tries: Katie O’Dwyer, Deirdre Roberts 2, Niamh Byrne, Aoife Doyle, Stephanie Carroll; Cons: Nikki Caughey 2; Pen: Nikki Caughey
UL Bohemians: Try: Sarah Quin; Con: Nicole Cronin; Pen: Nicole Cronin
HT: Railway Union 22 UL Bohemians 3

RAILWAY UNION: Aoife O’Shaughnessy; Aoife Doyle, Niamh Byrne (capt), Maggie MacKinnon, Stephanie Carroll; Nikki Caughey, Ailsa Hughes; Grainne O’Loughlin, Chloe Blackmore, Katie O’Dwyer, Aoife McDermott, Siobhan McCarthy, Emma Murphy, Deirdre Roberts, Kate McCarthy.

Replacements: Megan Collis, Lindsay Peat, Keelin Brady, Molly Scuffil McCabe, Claire Keohane.

UL BOHEMIANS: Aoife Corey; Stephanie Nunan, Alana McInerney, Rachel Allen, Helen McDermott; Nicole Cronin, Muirne Wall; Chloe Pearse (capt), Kate Sheehan, Fiona Reidy, Claire Bennett, Sarah Garrett, Clodagh O’Halloran, Edel Murphy, Ciara Griffin.

Replacements: Lily Brady, Eilis Cahill, Laura Delaney, Michelle Ring, Sarah Quin, Louise Costello, Abbie Salter-Townshend.

WICKLOW 12 MALONE 7, Ashtown Lane
Scorers: Wicklow: Tries: Ella Roberts, Sarah Gleeson; Con: Beth Roberts
Malone: Try: Neve Jones; Con: Alexa Grudgings
HT: Wicklow 5 Malone 7

WICKLOW: Ella Roberts; Tammy Breen, Meagan Parkinson, Sarah Gleeson, Naoise O’Reilly; Beth Roberts, Erin McConnell (co-capt); Lauren Barry, Amy O’Neill (co-capt), Kathy Byrne, Shauna Soady, Ciara Brennan, Jessica Schmidt, Emily Ryan, Niamh Ni Dhroma.

Replacements: Robyn Mullen, Laura Newsome, Karen Douglas, Nicola Schmidt, Caitlin Griffey, Orla O’Neill, Katherine Ward.

MALONE: Holly Brannigan; Ella Durkan, Jill Stephens, Peita McAlister (capt), Fern Wilson; Alexa Grudgings, Cara O’Neill; Sarah Murphy, Neve Jones, Chrissie McKee, Jasmine Ward, Amonae Dabbs-Brown, Jo McMorris-Cloughley, Shirelle Wilson, Rebecca Smyth.

Replacements: Ashleigh Currie, Emma Taylor, Erin Jones, Sophie Armstrong.

Record-breaking Salah scores three in 5-0 rout

Mo Salah made fans go wild after he scored a hat-trick at Old Trafford in Liverpool’s 5-0 win over bitter rivals Manchester United.

The Egyptian King got his first three-goal haul of the season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils crumbled in front of their fans.

Two of those goals came before half-time, with the third providing the killer blow at the start of the second half.

With his goals, the 29-year-old broke three records in one day and equalled another to add to the emphatic win away from home.

Salah became the Premier League’s highest-scoring African player with his first goal of the match, surpassing Ivorian Didier Drogba’s total of 184 in 89 fewer games.

He became the first player to score a hat-trick at Old Trafford in the Premier League and the first man to do so in all competitions since Ronaldo Nazario in 2003.

The Liverpool forward extended the club record he had set against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday for the most consecutive games in all competitions with at least one goal.

His first strike against United brought his current streak into double-digits with ten and also equalled the club record for most consecutive away games with at least a goal.

Salah equalled Sam Raybould’s record of scoring in five consecutive away trips for the club, a record that has stood since 1902.

He now sits on 10 goals in the league, three ahead of anyone else on the charts, with a further five from Liverpool’s three games in the UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool continue their unbeaten start to the season and are currently 13 matches into 2021-22 without tasting defeat once.

The win sees them keep in the early race for first place, sitting second a point behind Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea and a point ahead of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

They face Preston North End next in round four of the EFL Cup on Wednesday, October 27 at 7:45 pm.

The Buffalo Bills Continue Great Run and Everyone Is Betting On It to Continue

Despite suffering a very narrow loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Buffalo Bills are very much still a team that is attracting a great deal of sports betting action. Their run of four wins, prior to the recent defeat at the Nissan Stadium, has made Sean McDermott’s side an attractive option.

 

A big reason for their good run of form is, of course, quarterback Josh Allen, who’s already picked up 15 passing TDs and only seen three turnovers thus far, but McDermott’s side isn’t just banking on his QB to lead them to a long run into the postseason.

 

Defensively they’ve, for the most part, been solid also. They managed to overcome the Houston Texans and the Miami Dolphins with big wins to zero, and they look a solid wager to consider. If you take a look at the latest odds on the comparison service sidelines.io, you’ll see that the Bills at (+600) are second only to reigning Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay, with early-season favorites the Kansas City Chiefs behind Buffalo in the betting.

 

Backing the Buccaneers or the Chiefs was perhaps the safe option before game one, but things have gotten more complicated since then. Indeed you might also want to factor in the Arizona Cardinals, the only unbeaten team left in the NFL and available at (+1100).

 

Their most recent loss was, in many ways, down to a series of avoidable penalties that the Bills suffered. It’s an issue McDermott is keen to learn from;

 

“You know, discipline, discipline is important if you want to be a good football team,” he added. “The red zone, the turnover, you know the difference of points right there, that’s a potentially different game.”

 

McDermott added, “We got to learn from that and get better, and then we’ve got to fix some things on defense as well, and then penalties overall. You know we can’t kill ourselves with penalties like that.”

 

This is McDermott’s fifth season in charge of the Bills, and he’s seen his side progress over the course of that period, but there is very much a sense that they could do better. In three of the previous four seasons, Buffalo has made it to the postseason; on two of those occasions, they’ve bailed out in the wildcard game, and in 2020 they made it to the NFL AFC Championship Game before losing to the Chiefs.

 

It might be fair to say that this is the best shot the Bills have at Super Bowl glory since the heady days of the mid-90s when they racked up four Super Bowl losses in a row under legendary coach Marv Levy.

 

The Bills are still without a Super Bowl triumph in their 61-year history, and no doubt many Buffalo fans are hoping this will come to fruition this time around, and they’ll be accompanied by the many sports bettors who have chosen to back Sean McDermott’s side to go all the way this year.

Ireland Women qualify for FIH Hockey World Cup in 2022

The Ireland Women’s national hockey team have qualified for the 2022 Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup after winning the European qualifier for the upcoming tournament on Sunday.

Sean Dancer’s 18-women side beat France, Belarus and Wales to secure their place in next year’s competition that will be held in Spain and the Netherlands in July.

It will be the second World Cup appearance in a row for the Irish Women’s team after earning the silver medal in 2018’s instalment.

Anna O’Flanagan’s brace helped Ireland to edge the Welsh in the final and finish the qualifier in first, taking the sole World Cup spot on offer.

O’Flanagan fired home the winner with 11 minutes to go in Pisa and Sean Dancer’s ladies held out to progress, as they had done in the semi-final against Belarus.

Their defensive efforts proved the difference as the national side conceded only four goals in the qualifier, with high-scoring Belarus the only side to put two past goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran.

O’Flanagan finished joint-top of the pile on the scoring charts with four goals while rookie Niamh Carey scored two in Ireland’s first two games on their way to World Cup qualification.

“This was a defining moment for us,” captain Katie Mullan said after the match. “To make sure that it wasn’t just a one era team and to make sure that it was the future of hockey in Ireland, the future of the Green Army, and we’ve really backed that up by ensuring that we go to a World Cup next summer.

“The margins are so fine, but I’m just so proud of this group. It’s such an incredible group to be a part of, and yeah, we’re gonna go now and prepare and do as best [as] we can and work incredibly hard over the next year.”

Ian Garry to achieve goal of fighting in UFC by 23 at UFC 268

Irish mixed-martial artist Ian ‘The Future’ Garry (7-0) will achieve his goal of fighting in the UFC by the age of 23 when he takes on Jordan ‘Bomaye’ Williams (9-5 1NC, 0-2 UFC) at UFC 268 on Saturday, November 6.

Garry enters the UFC as the former Cage Warriors welterweight champion with an 11-fight win streak, seven of those coming since he turned professional.

Two-and-a-half years after making his pro debut, The Future will step into the octagon in front of fans on one of the most anticipated cards of the year.

“I’ve been saying since I started MMA – I wanted to have fought by 19, made my pro debut by 21 and I wanted to fight in the UFC by the time I’m 23.”

The Irishman will get his wish with 11 days to spare as he turns 24 on November 17 and he is preparing to do so with Sanford MMA after moving to America after getting his UFC contract.

The Florida-based gym has fighters such as Robbie Lawler, Gilbert Burns and Ian Heinisch on the roster.

The latter had a sparring session with Garry that led him to get a cut above his eye previous to the interview after he had grazed the cage.

The unbeaten fighter praised his new gym, describing it as an “absolutely insane” place to get to train at.

“It’s a mat full of elite, world-class talent and it’s a blessing to be able to step onto the mats and learn from coaches and teammates of that calibre.”

Heinisch, along with Impa Kasanganay and Phil Hawes have been training with the 23-year-old ahead of his Stateside debut

The prospect is working under gym founders Henri Hooft and Greg Jones, as well as Jason Strout, all three of whom will corner him for the fight.

He relishes the opportunity to make his UFC debut in front of fans after the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 led to him missing out on that experience in his last four fights.

“268 is going to be the fight that I’m going to enjoy,” Garry exclaimed. “All the hard work that I put in in the last four years to get to where I am, has been an accumulation of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, all for like this moment, all for this fight…

“…Now I’ve got to go in there – fight, have fun, put on a show – and show people why I’m this f**king good, why I’ve got this hype, why people are talking about me being ‘the next Conor McGregor.’ – why people are saying I’m the next big thing in MMA.”

The fight comes less than five months after his friend, now CW featherweight king Paul Hughes was in his corner on short notice for Garry’s win over Jack Grant to earn his belt at 170 lbs.

He was kicked out of his previous gym, Team KF Martial Arts in Swords, a week out from his bout with Grant “after repeated warnings regarding his behaviour to other teammates and his coaches,” according to a statement from his former gym.

Garry’s point-of-view on the split is seen in the Curly Top documentary ‘Ian Garry: The Future’ which follows the mixed-martial artist in the build-up to his title bout.

“I had a lot of people behind me and a lot of people who wanted to be there for me, who supported me, and that’s what matters is that there are people out there that support you and no matter what you do, you’ll always find someone to have your back.”

The victory over Jack Grant proved to be the final fight for the 7-0 fighter in Cage Warriors as the UFC came calling right after he got gold around his waist.

The UFC deal has helped put Irish MMA in the spotlight it was once in – on top of Garry, Peter Queally and Sinead Kavanagh are fighting for titles at Bellator while Hughes and Joe McColgan already hold them at Cage Warriors.

He is aiming to join the likes of Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping and Joanna Jędrzejczyk on the list of fighters from the Irish-owned promotion to become UFC champions, having already joined the long list of those who have made the switch to the American promotion.

“I think it’s pretty obvious how good [Cage Warriors] are and what they do…I mean they’re absolutely sensational at what they do and they deserve all the praise.

“The fact that they got to put on shows during the pandemic and enabled us to continue our careers in fighting and show off our skill sets, while the world was shut down is massive.

“They’re an amazing organisation – Graham [Boylan] and Ian [Dean] work their asses off. It was a pleasure to be part of that organisation and be a part of their lineage and their history and now it’s time to go on and set my legacy in the UFC.”

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